Innovator

Indigo

2009-05-17T16:36:00.005-04:00

Blinding sunlight poured through my curtains on to my face. I opened my eyes slowly, hoping I was still dreaming. But I had no such luck. I rolled off the mattress, taking all the blankets and sheets with me into the kitchen. Scarlet, my best friend, sat at the dining room table, sipping a cup of coffee, her nose stuck in an old magazine. We were the only ones up this early in the morning. I sat down next to Scarlet in the only non-broken, non-rotting chair, trying to rub the remains of sleep from my own eyes.
"'Morning, Indie. Sleep well?" Scarlet said to me absentmindedly, her sad, gray eyes not leaving the article she was reading.
"Don't call me "Indie", Scar. And yes, I slept quite well, thank you."
Scarlet finally looked at me, a smile playing at her lips and eyes. "Don't call me "Scar", Indigo."
We both laughed, the sound breaking the silence of morning, and waking me up fully.
A pillow hit the door to the kitchen with tremendous force. "Shut the hell up!" a muffled, tired voice called. It was undoubtedly Xander, the 12-year-old time bomb. You just never knew when he would blow up in your face.
We sat in silence for a awhile, just listening to the waves break against the shore, and breathing in the salty air. We had been in this little beach house for two years now, but the sights, sounds, and smells never ceased to entrance us.
"What time is it?" Scarlet said to me, in a low voice. Xander might have been three years younger, but he wasn't someone you took chances with.
I glanced across the postage-stamp kitchen, trying to block the stove and sink which were overflowed with dishes from my sight. I could just make out the time from the tiny digital clock on the far wall, for i twas quickly fading, and soon we would have to "borrow" a new one.
"9:30. You think?"
"Yeah. They should be okay. The raid wasn't too bad last night, was it?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "We had a close call in a clothing store. Storm let the alarm go off once, and we had to hide from the owners. But otherwise, it was easy, same as ever."
Scarlet nodded, and took a deep breath. "GET UP!!! BREAKFAST TIME!!!" she called at the top of her voice. On a regular morning, she would have to go to both rooms, and wake the inhabitants one by one. The mornings after raids were different, though. We had more food than usual, and breakfast was usually delicious.
The first ones out of bed were Storm, Celeste, and Xander, even though he had put up such a fuss just a few minutes earlier. Storm's mousy brown hair was in great need of a haircut, as was Xander's shock of flame-red hair. Celeste looked as if she hadn't slept at all. There were dark rings under her sweet, baby blue eyes, and her silver-blonde hair lay flat on her head.

The Story of Calanthe

2009-04-24T17:30:00.002-04:00

Hugo, a demi-god, and Amira, a young nymph, were wedded on Mount Olympus, due to Hugo’s family’s closeness to Zeus. Amira also came from an influential and rich family, so the marriage was, in theory, perfect. All the gods came to see the beautiful ceremony, even the dreaded Hades. Hugo, who had always loathed the god of the Underworld, became quite drunk with Dionysus and got into an argument with Hades. It went on and on, louder and louder, angrier and angrier. Hades, calling it quits finally, left the ceremony furious, but before leaving he cursed the new couple.
“Your first daughter will be taken away from you and will rule the Underworld as my queen!” And with that, he turned on his heal and left.
Three years later, the baby Calanthe was born to Amira and Hugo. She is the most beautiful girl in the world, they thought. They figured that Hades had long forgotten his threat to steal the girl, so they lived their lives in perfect bliss. Calanthe grew to be a sharp girl, beautiful and dangerous. On her first birthday, Amira and Hugo had a huge celebration and invited all the gods, including Hades. All the other gods were all very wary of what would transpire at the party, so most of them came just to see if there would be a fight.
All was going well at the celebration. There was much dancing and singing and drinking, and unexpectedly, Hades appeared, so angry that all the happiness disappeared from the room. Finally, Hugo and Amira realized their stupidity and remembered his threat. Amira immediately passed Calanthe on to a servant to take her away. As the servant was leaving with Calanthe, Hades grabbed the maid, and snatched the baby from her arms. He cackled evilly, while Amira, Hugo, and many of the others raced to try and get Calanthe back. Hades was too quick for them, swiftly leaving the room and riding off in his dark chariot back to the Underworld.
For the next three months, Amira was completely inconsolable. She locked herself in her room, not eating or drinking, morning the loss of her beloved daughter. She would not let anyone in, not even Hugo. Their lovely home fell into despair and darkness for a very, very, long time.
Meanwhile, Hades was sitting upon his throne, basking in glory. He was sure that Poseidon would suffer now, with his son’s family incomplete. All the blame would fall on Poseidon, Hades was sure, and Hades would have finally won. He didn’t really care for the baby. She was in the hands of the lost souls right now, and would surely be dead by tomorrow. But he didn’t care. All he cared about was his victory.
It was Calanthe’s sixteenth birthday, the age that she was eligible to be married. No one in the Underworld or anywhere else expected her to last this long, now that she was considered an adult, everyone was nervous, especially Hugo and Amira.
Hades had grown slightly attached to Calanthe over the time they had been together, but Calanthe loathed him. Now that she was old enough, Calanthe was preparing her escape. Hades had planned their marriage for the next month, and he planned to have it in the open, where everyone could see the ceremony. The night that Calanthe heard of this horrible news, she couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned until, out of the blue, she was exhausted. That night, Athena, who was a close friend of Hugo and Amira at the time, visited Calanthe. Athena did not wake her up, but instead left her a beautiful, gold sash and a dream. In the dream, Athena told Calanthe that the sash would lead her to her parents’ home and help her escape the wedding. The next morning, Calanthe awoke with a full plan of how to get out of becoming the Queen of the Underworld and back into her loving parents arms.
The next month came up quickly, and soon it was the wedding day. Some of Hades’ maids helped Calanthe get into her wedding gown, including the magic sash. When they held up a small mirror, Calanthe almost didn’t recognize the girl in the reflection. It had been at least five years since she last looked in a mirror, and she was surprised to see that her skin had turned slightly gray, and her hair was deep blue, shiny and smooth after all the maids’ work. The maid put down the mirror, and guided Calanthe to her chariot to Mount Olympus.
When Calanthe stepped from her chariot, the sun blinded her, and she was almost too afraid to walk any farther. She then remembered her vision of what her parents were going to be like, her dream of Athena, and her plan to escape from the evil Hades’ strangle-hold on her life, and followed the maids to the wedding ceremony.
The ceremony was deathly silent as Calanthe approached, without a trace of any kind of happiness. The air around her seemed to shake, like it too was nervous. As she got a few steps away from the altar where her hideous, evil husband-to-be waited, the sash around her waist transformed into a pair of striking, golden wings. All the guests, the gods and goddesses that had the courage to actually arrive, shrieked in terror, and most of them ran away. Hades was confused, not knowing who to be angry at. Athena raced up to Calanthe’s side as she stood marveling her new wings, and whispered into her to fly away to her parents’ home in the country side. The wings began to flap, and soon Calanthe was high above the ceremony, looking down on Hades and Athena fighting lividly. She laughed for the first time in an incredibly long time, and let the wings guide her to back to her parents’ welcoming home.
Calanthe soon found that her journey would not be the easiest. She had already encountered strong winds, blistering heat, and thunderstorms. She did find the sun to be refreshing, though and was quite happy with any change from the dank, dark hellhole she was used to. Before long, the scenery changed into a rich farm-land. It was full of colors, more than Calanthe had ever imagined. Calanthe could see a grand house on the horizon that closer and closer with each flap of her wings. She knew that it could only be home of her long-lost, loving parents, and urged the wings to fly faster. They began to drop her back down to the ground as they got nearer to the house, and when they finally deposited her right in front of the door, Calanthe could see the signs of decay and neglect. Her parents wouldn’t let their house fall to this, she was sure. Then she heard a soft singing in the back of house, and followed the sweet, delicate sound to its source. It was the ever-stunning and wise goddess Athena, standing above two graves, singing a mourning song. Calanthe walked closer and stood with her. She did not recognize the names on the graves, only that one was 15 years old, and the other only a year younger than that. But Calanthe was not in the mood for mourning the loss those she did not know. She turned to Athena, who was now silently, softly crying.
“Where are my parents?” Calanthe asked quietly, putting slight pressure on Athena’s shoulder to get her attention.
Athena looked up sharply, a confused look on her face. “They’re here, sweet Calanthe.”
“What?” Calanthe’s voice cracked, but she swallowed the hard lump in throat and asked again. “What do you mean?”
“Your parents have been dead for sometime now. You know this.”
“Dead? I thought…I didn’t know. You lied to me! You said that you would bring me to them!” Calanthe was screaming through her tears.
Athena realized her mistake then. Calanthe had been isolated in the Underworld for her entire life. No one would have told her of Hugo and Amira’s death, and she knew that Hades would have kept Calanthe away from the souls when he heard of the deaths. She had taken it for granted that Calanthe knew. How stupid had the goddess of wisdom been, and now she had ruined a young girl’s life because of it. “I thought you knew. I thought you might want to pay your respects before you started your life. I am so sorry, Calanthe.”
Calanthe was sobbing now, the tears flooding the grooves in the stone where Amira’s name and death date had been carved. “She…was my…mother!!! And I never got to know her, to love her!” she wailed. “Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why?!” Calanthe turned to Athena to say this, but Athena had no answer. She could only kneel beside the devastated girl, hold her in her arms, and cry with her.
Calanthe and Athena calmed themselves after a while, and rose to their feet once more.
“I am so sorry, my dear Calanthe. I never meant to hurt you like this.”
“I have come to the decision to forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes, I guess.”
“What will you do now?” Athena questioned her. “What will you do with the rest of your life as a free woman?”
“I’m not free,” Calanthe said to Athena, taken aback. “I have to marry that loathsome creature still.”
“No, you don’t! Why would you even think about doing that?”
“Because if I don’t go back, he’ll be after me. He’ll kill me if he has to.”
“No. You mustn’t do that. He’ll kill there, too. Out in the open you will have places to hide. You’ll be safer out here.”
“No. I won’t run. Please take me back, Athena. Please,” Calanthe begged.
Athena knew that she shouldn’t, but she also knew that Calanthe would go back on her own if Athena refused to take her. So Athena agreed, and flew Calanthe back to the mouth of the Underworld.
When they arrived, Athena tried once more to convince Calanthe to not go back, but she wouldn’t hear a word of it. Calanthe was certain that if she went back now, Hades would marry her and keep her as his queen of the Underworld, and eventually it would seem as if she never left at all. She continued on until she found Hades’ throne room, where she expected to find him raging. But instead, she found something quite different. During her journey, though it had only been two days long, Hades had managed to capture another innocent girl and force her into being his bride. This time, it was Persephone, the lovely daughter of Demeter. When Hades spotted Calanthe, he swiftly had her thrown into the deepest, dirtiest, coldest dungeon. Calanthe was not extremely surprised, but she thought Hades might have had a least a little inkling of feeling left for Calanthe. Of course, Calanthe fought. She fought until she could not even lift her voice tomore than a whisper. She realized that Hades’ “feeling” for her was just lust, and now that he had someone that fulfilled this, she was no longer important. Before long, she could fight no more, and her beauty and her life began to wither away. Yes, Calanthe withered, and soon she joined her beloved parents in as a soul in the Underworld. And this is why all flowers wither, for life and beauty can never last forever.

The Land of Corithina

2009-04-17T14:59:00.006-04:00

Chapter 1-Chelsea

Chelsea sat down on a rock. It was the last day before she had to leave and the last week before school started. She had just spent three weeks at her lake house in the Maine wilderness, and she wasn’t ready to leave just yet.School entered her mind again, and she groaned inwardly. Chelsea hated school, from the teachers to the school lunches to the popular girls who insisted that she join their little clique. She couldn’t stand them, and she knew as soon as she agreed to be friends with them, they would turn on her.Chelsea sighed and gazed back onto the lake. The water was a deep blue-green, and it glistened in the light of the setting sun. She closed her eyes; she could hear the small waves breaking on the shore, the bugs buzzing around her ears, her brothers arguing who would get to sit up front, the light pitter-patter of feet-
Chelsea snapped her eyes open and wildly looked around. She didn’t like the idea that she was being watched. Soon, she heard the noise again. In the undergrowth next to her, there sat a tiny, white rabbit. Chelsea let out a breath and reached down to pet it.
“Aww, you’re just a little thing, aren’t you?”The rabbit jumped away from her hand and scampered of into the woods behind it. Chelsea, without thinking of where the rabbit might be going, immediately got up and followed it.
“Hey come back!” she called after getting caught in thorny vines. She could still see the white rabbit, though it was getting farther and farther away. She finally untangled herself and ran after it again.

Chelsea slowed to a stop. It was getting dark now, and Chelsea started to think about what her parents were doing. Were they worried? If she went back now, how would she explain her bruises and scratches? What if they had called the police? She knew that trouble was waiting for her back at home, no matter when she came back. She kept walking behind the rabbit. The sun was completely down now, and she could barely see where she was going.The rabbit slowed down in the middle of a large clearing. The moonlight shone directly through the trees. Chelsea could see every little detail. Suddenly the rabbit started jumping up and down crazily all around the clearing. When it got around to her, it started to jump directly on her toes, as if trying to get her attention.
“Calm down, you freak. That hurts!” she exclaimed as the rabbit bit her ankle. She kicked her leg and the rabbit went flying to the other side of the clearing.
“Great. Now I’m a murderer as well as grounded for life.” Chelsea jogged across the clearing to inspect the rabbit. As she bent down over its tiny body, a pinprick of green light shone in her eyes. Chelsea looked up immediately. They must be looking for me, she thought. The green light grew bigger and bigger, and soon the entire clearing was lit in a ghostly green shine. The rabbit’s body began to bubble and transform underneath her hands.
“What the…?” Chelsea muttered, jumping up. Where the rabbit once was, a young man now lay. His hair and eyebrows were bright white, giving the illusion of old age, but his face was smooth of wrinkles and almost heartbreakingly innocent. Then his eyes opened, and Chelsea let out a scream.They were the darkest, most evil red Chelsea had ever seen. The boy stood up quickly, awoken by Chelsea’s shriek of terror. He walked towards Chelsea, but she stumbled backwards away from him.
“It’s alright, Miss,” he said in a strangely accented voice. “I mean you no harm.”
“B-but your eyes…” Chelsea trailed off, unable to find the right words.“They’re just a bit abnormal. Really, I’ve been assigned to…protect you. I mean you no harm,” he repeated.
Chelsea glanced at the boy again. His falter before the word “protect” made her a little on edge. Besides, Chelsea couldn’t see this boy protecting more that a fruit fly. He was about two heads shorter than her, with scrawny arms and legs. He seemed at the most maybe 12 years old, but the determined look in his eyes made him look older and wiser. Maybe she was crazy, but Chelsea decided to forget his demonic eyes and trust his word.
“Alright then. Do I get to know your name, oh protector?” Chelsea crossed her arms and took a step forward.
“Evander Whitetree, Miss Chelsea,” he said proudly, sticking his bony chest out.
Chelsea narrowed her eyes. “Who told you my name?”
“The people who assigned me to protect you, of course.”
“And that would be…who?”
“You’ll meet them soon enough. Come on!” With that, Evander traipsed into the forest.
Chelsea hesitated. Did she really want to go off alone with this nutcase? Was this even real? What if it was, and he turned out to be some sort of mass murderer?
“Come along, Miss Chelsea! We have to get back to the city before sundown!” Evander called over his shoulder.
Chelsea sighed. Once again, she decided to follow without really knowing where she was headed.

Chapter 2-Evander

The green light still filled the forest as Evander and Chelsea walked along a beaten path, Evander in front. Chelsea seemed stubborn and untrusting to Evander, but he hoped that would change soon. He was desperately searching for a friend, and this was the first girl (or person, for that matter) that would actually talk to him. He turned and looked over his shoulder. Chelsea walked with her head bowed, her arms crossed, and a scowl on her face, as if she hated the world.
“Are you all right, Miss Chelsea?”
“Would you drop the ‘Miss’ thing, Evander?” Chelsea snapped at him.
“Oh. Umm, yeah, sorry.” Evander turned his head forward again, and stared at the ground as he walked. Soon, he heard the sound of footsteps as Chelsea caught up with him.
“Hey don’t…worry about it. I’m the one who should be sorry.” She said the last part quickly, in one breath, like she didn’t want to hear herself say it. They walked in silence for a while, side-by-side.
“So do I get to know where you’re taking me?” Chelsea spoke up.
“Acantha City.”
“In English, please.”
“That was English. I think.”
“So where are we, anyways? Like what country?” Chelsea asked, more sure of this question than the last one.
"Well, it’s the Land of Corithina, if that’s what you’re asking,” Evander replied.
“Umm…well…where are we?” Chelsea asked again.
Evander chuckled, laughing at his mistake. Chelsea wasn’t aware of the secret world that lay right beneath her nose. Silly Upper-people.Evander took a deep breath.
“Okay, I’m going to try and explain this to you. If you don’t get it, well, you should figure it out soon enough. A really long time ago, a group of elves sailed over from Europe. They brought their culture and began to establish a community of the strange and extraordinary beings.”
“Okay, you’re totally lying. There’s no way that actually happened,” Chelsea interrupted.
“It’s true. I swear. Can I keep going, please?”
Chelsea still had a look of disbelief on her face. “Yeah. Whatever.”
“So, after a while, the humans began to interfere. Some found themselves content in our towns and married elves and the other creatures that came over with them.”
“What kind of creatures? And how long ago was this?” Chelsea interrupted again. Her mouth might have been saying that she didn’t believe, but her eyes betrayed her, plainly showing her great interest.
“You’ll see the different creatures. As for the time period, I’d say it was around the time the Upper-people call the medieval times.”
“Upper-people? What are those? Am I an Upper-person?”
“Yes, yes, now hush! You’ll find everything out soon enough!”
“Sorry,” Chelsea said sheepishly.
“Well, as I said, some people found happiness in our towns. Most people, though, hated us. They tortured and murdered us, hoping we would leave. Because of this, we created a barrier between your world and ours. We’ve been living under your noses for hundreds of years, hence the name “Upper-people” for you and “Under-people” for us. No Upper-person has ever gotten through our barrier.” Evander said this last part with a certain pride, for he was proud of his ancestors’ skill.
“Okay, I’ve got one last question. Or two actually. The first one is if you came during the medieval period, the only people here were the Native Americans. Right?”
“I guess. All I know is that they had dark skin and darker hair,” Evander answered, a little embarrassed that he didn’t know something like this.
“Native Americans. Okay, my second question is how do you explain me if no “Upper-person” or whatever has ever gotten through?” Chelsea asked slyly, a small, playful smile on her face.
"Um...I ... but...well, no Upper-person has ever gotten through on their own,” Evander blustered, truly embarrassed.
Chelsea’s laughs rang through the now darkened forest. The moon and stars, their light seeping in between the tree branches above, made her eyes twinkle. The green glow still hung in the air, though it was a deeper, less noticeable shade.“All right, fair enough,” she said.
Evander couldn’t believe that he been assigned to and had succeeded in fooling and kidnapping such a lovely thing as Chelsea.

Chapter 3-Chelsea

Evander had turned out to be really nice. Chelsea had enjoyed just walking and talking with him. They were silent now, but it wasn’t awkward at all. Chelsea smiled to herself; she might have found her first real friend.
“Chelsea, look,” Evander said quietly.Chelsea looked, and she was so startled that she stopped dead on the beaten forest path. Before her was a beautiful gateway, made entirely out of branches, delicate flowers, and dancing, golden lights.
“The gateway to Acantha City,” Evander said, his voice full of pride.
"Oh…my…God. This is amazing!”
“You haven’t even seen the actual city yet. Come on.” Evander walked towards the gateway, and all the lights moved into a row, barring him. Chelsea took a few steps closer, and realized that the lights were making a faint humming noise.
“What are those?” Chelsea wondered aloud.
“Fairies. And don’t for a second think that they’re pretty. They’re evil little things that will turn on you as soon as you trust them.” Evander looked deadly serious; almost too serious.
“All right, chill out. It can’t be that big of a deal,” Chelsea replied, rolling her eyes.Evander nodded slightly, not losing his serious look, and turned back to the long row of fairies.
“Evander Whitetree, son of Caston and Elfanta Whitetree. May I be let in?” Evander spoke loudly, with a serious tone of voice.
The fairies seemed to debate on whether or not to let him in, but eventually broke apart and went back to their places in between the branches. Evander walked through, and Chelsea went to follow him. As soon as she stepped through the gate she was thrown back by the fairies. She fell into the dirt and the fairies swarmed around her, making small pinpricks of blood each time they touched her.
"OW!!! Stop that! STOP!” Chelsea screamed trying to cover the skin that wasn’t cover by her shorts, T-shirt, and ankle socks. Evander raced back through the gates and bent over Chelsea, beating away the fairies. They backed off finally, Chelsea breathing heavily with her back to the ground, and Evander kneeling and trying to choke back laughter.
"It's not funny!!!" Chelsea cried, laughing herself.
Evander and Chelsea fell into a fit of giggles, rolling on the ground. They stopped eventually, finally standing up to face the gateway again.
“Let’s try this again,” Evander said to Chelsea so that only she could hear it.
“Evander Whitetree, son of Caston and Elfanta Whitetree and friend. May we be let in?” Evander spoke to the fairies this time, in his silly sounding formal voice. Once again, the fairies left the gateway clear, and Evander and Chelsea passed through once more. The fairies stopped Chelsea again, but instead of attacking her, they seemed to be doing a security check, like at an airport. They rolled across of her skin like water, dancing and jumping with unrealistic grace.Suddenly, the fairies left Chelsea’s skin and floated back to their places in the branches. Chelsea stepped through the gateway, joining Evander once more.
“Alright, now you really get to see the city,” Evander said, grinning widely.They continued walking down the paved road, and Chelsea was repeatedly reminded of "The Wizard of Oz"; everything from the yellow-tinged bricks that lined the meandering road, from the fields of poppy-like flowers on either side of them. The sun was coming up slowly, piercing through the green atmosphere with a red glow. There hadn't been much conversation since the fairie incident, but as they walked, they began holding hands. Chelsea looked over at Evander with a questioning look when he had first reached for her hand, but eventually relaxed.
Soon, the poppy fields disappeared and were replaced with houses made of brick and wood. They morphed into tightly packed buildings and streets, taking Chelsea back to the heart of New York where she lived. Evander stopped to talk with some of the strangest beings: trolls, goblins, random animals, and even dancing lights which Chelsea now knew to be fairies. They spoke an even stranger language. The words seemed cut off in odd places, yet it flowed as smooth as a lazy river. When they got moving again, a small park came into view. In the middle was a tall, menacing statue of a woman. She had smooth, large curls of hair tumbling down her back, large, innocent eyes with a look of pure hatred in them, and in her hand was the severed head of a human man. Chelsea stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, staring in disbelief at the statue.
"Welcome to Acantha City, Chelsea," Evander whispered in her ear.

Chapter 4-Evander

"What...in the world...is that?" Chelsea asked, almost inaudibly.
Anger bubbled up in Evander's stomach. How dare she call Lady Acantha "that"? Where was her pride and dignity? Then, realizing that Chelsea had no knowledge of the Lady, he dropped the matter and began to explain.
"That is Lady Acantha, the first to lead Corithina into victory against the human race. She is regarded as the greatest hero we have ever had."
"But if she was such a great hero for Corithina, then why does she look human?"
"She's an elf. When we get closer, you'll be able to see the differences." They began to walk again, when they were suddenly cut off by a large, solid, dark shadow. It stopped in front of them, and Evander nearly fell into it.
“Evander,” a voice said from above them. It was monstrously deep, and dripping with a dark evil. Evander looked up, and saw the worst.
Above them was the ugliest man Evander had ever met. He had a single eye that was blood red and oozed pus most of the time. His hair and skin were almost blinding because of the amount of grease. Worst of all, he was Evander’s boss. The one that sent him to kidnap Chelsea for his own pleasure, giving Evander nothing in return but a few gold pieces. Seeing the Boss now, Evander swore to himself that he would never, ever give Chelsea up to this beast. But seeing their current predicament, he didn’t know how well he would be able to keep that promise.
The beast turned to Chelsea. “Ah, you must be the lovely Miss Chelsea Benton.” His voice was slick and oily now, trying to seem the perfect gentleman, but Evander could see that Chelsea was neither convinced nor impressed.
“Yes,” Chelsea said in a tight voice, “And who are you?”
“I am Sir Malcolm Kysely, Evander’s…supervisor.” Sir Malcolm smirked at this, as Evander spat at the ground near the toes of shoes. The smirk slid off Sir Malcolm’s face and was replaced by a terrifying expression of pure hatred. He growled, and reached out to grab Evander’s throat, but he was too quick for him, and dodged out of the way.
“Run!! Chelsea, go!!!” Evander cried, and soon they were flying, through dark, grimy alleyways, into sunlit town squares, and back into alleyways, shoving people and creatures out of their way. As soon as they were a safe distance from where they had run into Sir Malcolm (Evander guessed they were at least a mile away by now), they stopped running and sat down in a deserted alley, breathing hard and sweaty.
“Who…was that?” Chelsea said, between breaths.
“My boss.”
What do you mean? What boss?”
“The one that sent me to…get you.”
“Why did he do that? What does he want from me? And do I ever get to know what I’m being protected from?” Chelsea questioned like a curious toddler.
Evander just sat, breathing hard, keeping quiet. He wasn’t going to be able to keep it secret for much longer. She would figure out soon enough on her own. He gazed at the cobbled, slimy street that they sat on, hoping an excuse might come to him if he stared hard enough.
“Evander,” Chelsea said in a quiet tone that told Evander she had finally figured something out, “what are you hiding from me?”
“I…I lied. No one wants to protect you from anything,” Evander said faintly. He did not dare look at Chelsea, for fear of what her expression might look like.
“What?” Her voice sounded confused, hurt.
“I kidnapped you, Chelsea.” Tears welled up around his eyes, and his voice broke on her name. He was weak, he knew, and evil, evil, evil.
“W…But…You couldn’t have. It’s not true. You’re lying!” she said, her voice rising to a shout on the last sentence, jumping to her feet and standing over him.
“I’m not lying!” Evander shouted back, finally looking her in the eye. He leaped to his feet as well.
“No…,” Chelsea whispered, tears in her eyes as well.
“Yes, Chelsea. Yes.” With that, Evander drooped back down on the cold stone, and put his head in his hands.
“How could you?” She sounded furious, at last. “How could you do such a thing?!”
The next thing Evander heard was the pounding of feet. His head snapped up, to see her make a turn around the wall and disappear. He got up, and tried to run after her.
“Chelsea…CHELSEA!!!” He knew it was too late though. Chelsea was gone, most likely never to return. They would jail her as soon as the found her, unless Sir Malcolm got to her first, in which case her fate would be much worse. Knowing that he could do nothing more, he crumpled back onto the ground, and cried.

Chapter 5-Chelsea

Chelsea ran, and ran, and ran. She knew nothing of where she was going, just that she wanted to be far away from that traitor, that evil boy. Finally, she came to stop in an alleyway much like the one she had just left. She sank to the grimy, stone floor, watching out for the piles of garbage that surrounded her. Chelsea was just now realizing how utterly exhausted she was; she hadn't slept in two days, and now she couldn't keep her eyes open. She fell into a deep, untroubled sleep there, not to wake up for hours and hours and hours...

Deafening noise and heavy footfalls, like thunder and earthquakes at the same time, woke Chelsea with a start. She was confused for a moment; she didn't recognize the strange place she had woken up in at all. Soon, though, she remembered the last two days, and her heart emptied of fear and was replaced with rage. She remembered Evander, the no-good, back-stabber that he was. She remembered how he had tricked her, taken advantage of her ignorance. Chelsea felt like slaughtering him, but instead took he anger out on the slimy stone wall behind her.
"DAMMIT!!!" Chelsea howled, clutching her left hand. Dark, crimson blood oozed between the fingers of her right hand, and Chelsea could feel the broken bones in her left.
Chelsea sank to her knees and began to sob; out of pain, out of homesickness, and even out of missing Evander. She knew that she should pull it together, lest someone hear her. She knew that she was stronger than this, she knew. You can make it out of here without him, her mind was telling her. But still she sobbed; she needed him, she needed her family, she needed someone.
Suddenly her wish was granted. The sound of light, small feet echoed in the alley. Chelsea looked up slowly, not wanting to believe that it was who she thought it was.
It wasn't him. A petite girl walked down the alley towards Chelsea, a girl so beautiful Chelsea could do nothing but stare. She had thick, smooth, silver-blonde hair down to her waist, and a small, heart-shaped face with sapphire blue eyes and perfect, rosy-pink lips. Instantly, Chelsea's mind thought of her own flat, boring, chesnut brown hair, and gangly arms and legs.
"I thought I heard screaming," the girl said as she got closer. Her voice was like windchimes, soft and delicate, with the same accent as Evander. This comparison wrenched Chelsea heart, and she immediately banished it from her mind
"What happened to your hand?" she said, kneeling beside Chelsea.
"I...uhh..umm...," Chelsea stuttered.
"Tell me," the girl demanded in a petulant voice now. "I want to know!"
"I hit the wall."
The girl gave Chelsea a inquiring look.
"On accident. If you could help me, I would appreciate it."
"Help you? Why in the world would we help you?" the girl said, crossing her arms over her sage green tunic, a spoiled look in her eyes.
"Sirpa...behave," a deep voice said from behind the girl, as a hulking, shadowed figure stepped out from behind her
For the first time, Chelsea noticed the man behind Sirpa, or whatever he had said her name was. The man was huge, but unlike Sir Malcolm, this man was almost as beautiful as Sirpa. His hair was the same silver-blonde, and he was thin like her, as well. They were obviously brother and sister, but there were obvious differences as well. His eyes were a deep bronze, and his face was not as sharp as hers.
The man picked up Sirpa, and began to address Chelsea. "I'm very sorry for my sister's insulting words. She has not yet learned proper manners, as she is only nine. My name is Erhard Ryker, and this is my sister, Sirpa Ryker. Despite wat Sirpa said, we would be honoured to offer all the help you need."
Chelsea was speechless for quite a long time. She couldn't believe her luck; she felt like a Munchkin after Dorothy's house fell on top of the Wicked Witch.
"Thank you," she finally choked out. Erhard help out a hand, while Sirpa shot her a nasty look.
As Erhard set Sirpa down and helped Chelsea up, Sirpa spoke again. "Don't trust her, Erhard. She smells of the outside." With that, Sirpa turned on her heels and skipped out of the alley way into the sunlit piazza.
"What was that about?" Chelsea asked Erhard.
He looked up at Chelsea. "My sister can smell anything, whether it's fear, or perfume. You're not from Corithina, are you?"
Again, Chelsea was left speechless. How could she tell a complete stranger that she was illegally in his world? His eyes seemed to envelope her, though, and she couldn't help trusting him with this secret. "No. I'm not."
"Didn't think so. Come along, then. My sister might be able to tell where a person from, but she cannot tell whether a person is trustworthy or not. That's my job." Erhard flashed her a huge grin, and then swept her up in his arms and carried her out after Sirpa.

. . .
To be continued with Chapter 6!!!

Garbage Monsters

2009-03-27T14:39:00.001-04:00

This is an older story. I wrote it at the beginning of the year, and I decided to post it just so you can see the progression (if there is any).

. . .

It is a beautiful day in the heart of New York City. The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing and the streets are bustling. Everywhere you look you can see people smiling.
But we’re not worried about people just yet. Let’s travel to a gloomy alley, and into a rusty garbage can. Here we find the Garbage Monsters.
“Victoria, did you ever find that rotting apple?” Oliver, an earthworm shouts from a ledge made of old newspapers.
“No, Oliver. How many times have I told you that?” Victoria, a sewer rat and Oliver's girlfriend, snaps back from above him.
Oliver looks up. Victoria is sitting on the edge of the open trashcan. He immediately feels bad for shouting at her.
“I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that Roberto never finds any good food. Where is he anyways?”
“I’m not sure. I just went looking for him, I couldn’t find him.”
“What a ditz. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s sitting in an oven right now. Huh, good riddance,” Oliver scoffs.
“Oliver, be nice. I know he’s a bit of nuisance, but we have to find that clumsy chicken.”
Just now, Roberto struts up, feathers flying. He’s got a few new bald spots and he’s covered in dirt.
“Guys, guys you have to come see this!!!” Roberto cries.
“Roberto, where the heck have you been?!” Victoria squeals. “We’ve been worried sick about you!”
“You must be using the royal ‘we’, Vic.” Oliver says, popping up over the edge. He turns to Roberto. “What did you find this time, crazy?”
Victoria turns to scold him but Roberto interrupts her.
“You’ll never believe it. I saw…a UFO!” Roberto whispers dramatically.
"Oh, stop talking nonsense and get inside," Victoria says, rolling her eyes.
Roberto hops up and into the can. Victoria and Oliver follow, dragging the lid behind them. It's pitch black until Victoria turns on the old flashlight. The inside of the can is illuminated in a ghostly light. Victoria and Oliver rest on a yellowed encyclopedia that serves as a couch, while Roberto snuggles into his makeshift "nest" of ancient blankets and clothes.
"All right, Roberto. Will you please explain to us where you've been?" Victoria says in calm, but strained, voice.
"Well," Roberto starts, and it's immediately obvious that he has a long, elaborate story to tell. "As you know I went out this morning to find us food. So I was walkin' along the main back alley when I hear this noise behind me. It went sort of like, rumble-rumble-rumble-CLANK-rumble-CL-CLANK! I turned around and I saw this monster behind me! It had huge bright eyes and an even bigger body and instead of feet it had these ginormous, black, round things that rolled across the across the ground swiftly and gracefully! It was coming straight towards me and right before it could swallow me whole, I leaped into the nearest can. Though I kind of jumped into Mrs. Katz' can and she sort of beat me up a little for it. But as soon as I escaped that, I came right back here so I could you guys all about it!"
"Okay, first, you completely neglected your duties. Second, what in the world were you doing on the main back alley?! You know that's where the humans are!" Oliver's voice starts to rise, bouncing of the sides of the can. "And third, that thing you saw wasn't a UFO, it was a garbage truck and-oh." On the last word, Oliver's voice drops to an almost silent whisper.
"Oh," Victoria echoes.
"What?" Roberto squawks.
"Roberto, which way was the truck headed?" Oliver's asks eyes closed.
"It looked like it was coming towards this way. Why does it-oh!"
Everyone is quiet for a moment, and then Victoria breaks the silence. "Boys, we need to latch the lid shut. Oliver does the catapult still work?” Victoria sounds like an army general.
“I think so. Do you really think we’ll need it?” Oliver asks in an uncertain voice.
“Yes I do. If they get this can open there’s nothing to stop them emptying it out,” Victoria answers. “All right. Let’s get to work.” With that she jumps off the couch and scurries up staircase made of newspapers and magazines, dragging behind her a long chain. When she reaches the top she threads the chain through a loop, runs back down the stairs and hooks the chains to nails on the floor. Oliver and Roberto are still sitting, just watching Victoria.
“Well, come on!” Victoria shouts, “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to die today!”
Immediately, Roberto and Oliver get to work. Oliver slides over to a long forgotten corner and drags out the “catapult”, a child’s slingshot mounted on a plank of wood. He fills it with rusty bottle caps and prepares to fire. Roberto repeats Victoria’s steps on the other side of the can. Everything falls to a deadly quiet.
Victoria’s mind is racing with memories: being kicked out of her home can when she became of age; meeting and falling in love with Oliver; buildings their home; discovering Roberto in the gutter with no idea how or why he was there. A tear rolls down her furry gray face as she tightens her hold on the chain.
They all hear it approach: rumble-rumble-CLANK-rumble-rumble-CL-CLANK! The noise grows louder and louder until it finally stops in front of their trashcan. A door slams and heavy footsteps send nerve-wrecking vibrations through all three of them. Someone places their hands on the lid and pulls. Victoria and Roberto are nearly lifted off the floor, but then the pulling stops. They pull again, this time even harder, but Victoria and Roberto hold their ground. They pull once more, and now the lid starts to open. Roberto starts to lose his grip on his chain and Victoria hovers above the ground. Oliver rushes over and wraps himself around Victoria’s legs.
“Oliver-,” Victoria starts to protest, but Oliver glares at her so fiercely she doesn’t finish her sentence. The human outside pulls up one last time. Roberto digs his feet into the ground and Oliver stretches to his limits. The lid is almost halfway open when the human drops the lid and all three Garbage Monsters fall into a heap.
“There a problem?” someone from the truck calls.
“Yeah, this can’s nailed shut or somethin’” the human outside answers back.
“Oh well, just leave it. Less of a job for us, eh?” the man in the truck says. They both laugh, and the footsteps fade towards the truck. The door slams again, the truck starts up and they drive away. Back in the can, the Monsters are still on the floor. Victoria looks to Oliver, then to Roberto, then back to Oliver.
“Boys, we did it.” She says quietly, but you can still hear the excitement in her voice. Everything is silent for a moment, and then they erupt into cheers. Victoria hugs and kisses Oliver, then pulls Roberto in for a group hug. They’re all crying and laughing almost hysterically.
Yes, it’s a beautiful day in the heart of NYC. The breeze is blowing, and the streets are bustling. The sun shining, even in the gloomy alley, in the rusty trashcan where we find the Garbage Monsters, happier than everyone else.

The Hazards of Growing Up

2009-03-27T14:34:00.002-04:00

I had tea with the man on the moon,
But I swear it's not an illusion.
So I sat all alone and grew butterfly wings,
And they medicated my delusion.

So the man on the moon began sobbing,
For I was not there to hold him.
And my colorful wings grew dull and dusty,
And my imagination hung from a limb.

One day it fell and shattered,
One million pieces of broken glass.
So I just walk, an empty shell,
And I never look forward, never look back.

Stop Apologizing

2009-03-13T14:59:00.001-04:00

“Ms. Laney? Your mother is ready for visitors now.”
I stand up immediately. Mom has been in the hospital for three months, and I haven’t seen her in three years. So here I am, being sickened by the antiseptic smell and nervousness that Mom won’t want to see her delinquent 25-year-old. I struggle to keep my feet moving down the hallway. There it is: Room 118. Well, here’s to my sanity.
I pull open the door to Mom lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, her bald head almost the same color as her pillow. The image floods my mind and suddenly…

I’m seven years old, climbing into Mommy’s bed.
“What the hell are you doing in here, Eliza? Don’t you know your momma’s gotta get some sleep?”
“Mommy, I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you? Please, please, please?”
Mom throws back the covers and slides over, leaving a little room for me. “Now, don’t go tellin’ your brother about this. I’ve only got room in this bed for one crazy child.”
I snuggle closer to her, the scent of cigarettes and shampoo filling my nostrils. I stick my nose farther into her dark brown, soft, curly hair, and fall asleep…

I rush to my mother’s bedside, tears running down my face.
“Oh, Momma,” I half-whisper, throwing my hands around her weak neck.
“Eliza? I haven’t seen you in ages.” Momma can barely talk. I surprised she even remembers me. I look nothing like the girl I was in college.
I collapse into the chair next to her hospital bed. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I meant to come sooner. I swear I did.”
“Eliza,” Mom says, waving her hand in dismissal, “Just be quiet.”
I open my mouth to protest, but close it again. I don’t really have anything to say.
I can’t believe that it has been three years since I’ve seen Momma. Three years since I was the good daughter. Three years since I left the backwoods of Alabama…

I’m thirteen. It’s the last day of seventh grade, and I’m really happy, a way I haven’t felt in a long time. I’m daydreaming as I open the rusty chain link gate, and sit down underneath the huge pine tree in our front yard.
The door slams open behind me. “ELIZA, GET YOUR SORRY ASS IN HERE!!”
I jump up from the ground. Momma’s standing in the doorway, her hair matted and dull, her eyes crazy under heavy lids. She’s holding a small, orange bottle loosely in her hand.
“What did I do this time?” I call, using a seemingly innocent voice.
“JUST GET IN!!!” she screams at me, and stumbles out of the door and down the steps.
I don’t wait to see what happens. I run, as fast as I can, banging the gate closed behind me. I keep running until I can’t see the house, until I’m in the middle of nowhere…

A nurse comes into the room. Momma has fallen asleep, with her pale, tired face turned towards me.
“Hi, there,” the nurse says, in that Alabama accent that I know all to well. “You Mrs. Laney’s daughter?”
“Yeah. Eliza. And it’s Ms. Laney, by the way. My dad left us when my brother and I were only four.” I don’t know why I told the nurse this. My last boyfriend didn’t even know that.
“You look an awful lot like your brother. He was in here just last night. I had to drag him outta here so that your momma could get some sleep.”
“Are you in here to do something, or are you just chatting?”
The nurse gives me a nasty look, and turns to check on my mom. Apparently satisfied, she leaves, leaving my mom and me alone.
“Momma, I’m sorry that I haven’t spoken to you in three years. I’m sorry for how I acted when you came to school that day. I’m sorry for how I treated myself in college, and how much it hurt you. I just hope I’m not too late for you to forgive me.” The last sentence broke in the middle, and I bent my head down over her bed and cried…

I’m nineteen, at a party. I’m dressed to impress, in a mini-skirt, and a tank-top, an outfit that Momma hates. I can see my newest boyfriend, Blake, coming towards me with a drink in both hands.
“Hey, babe,” I say as he approaches. When he gets closer, he bends down and kisses me passionately. I spy my twin brother in the corner of the room, giving me the evil eye. I don’t feel like taking his crap tonight though. I take my drink from Blake, down it, and that’s the last thing I really remember.

“Eliza, you still here, honey?” a weak voice says, waking me up.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep.”
“Didn’t I just tell you to stop apologizing?” she replied, trying to put a smile in her voice, but I could tell she was too tired to really succeed. I smiled back weakly. “How have you been, Mom? I’m…I feel bad that I haven’t spoken to the family in so long.”
“I’ve been as good as a cancer patient can be,” Momma said, letting her sickly white head fall back on the pillow. “Your brother seems to think I should be furious at you. I think he’s full of it. I haven’t seen your sister since last fall, though. She called this morning, though.” When she had finished her sentence, she began to cough horribly, rattling her whole body. I had never seen her like this, but then again, I haven’t seen her in what feels like forever. Maybe if I had been a better daughter, I would be better prepared for this…

I’m 20, and shouting at the phone. I can’t believe Mom won’t give me the money. She knows that I need it.
“Eliza, would you just calm down?” Mom sounds like she’s on the edge of tears now. Good, I think. She should feel bad.
“NO!!! I HATE YOU!!!” I slam the phone down on the floor. It’s true. I really hate her now.
I know the reasons for Mom not lending me the money. I just dropped out of college a month ago, and now I can’t pay rent. But my sister, the “princess”, never even went to college, and Mom treats her like she’s a goddess. Oh well, I think. They won’t be hearing from me any time soon…
A fast beeping brings me back to now. Momma’s on her back, eyes closed, her chest motionless. She’s stopped breathing.
I slam open the door, and call for help. The nurse from before runs in.
“What’s wrong?” she says with urgency, pulling out her stethoscope.
“I don’t know!! She just stopped breathing!” My voice breaks, and the tears spill down my face. The beeping slows, and suddenly I can’t watch anymore. I collapse at Momma’s bedside, clutching her hands. “Don’t die, Momma, please. I’m sorry, I am really,” I sobbed, the words barely making it out before the tears. The beeping stops. The worst has happened, I know.
“Ms. Eliza? I’m so sorry. Your momma’s gone, honey.” She kneels beside me and wraps her arms around my shoulders. I bury my head in her chest, and let go…

The End

Nonsensical Sensibility

2009-02-20T21:55:00.010-05:00

If all my thoughts were written,
I would have pages and pages,
Filled with nothing but,
Nonsense.

If I drew all my dreams,
I would have sketchbook after sketchbook,
All filled up with,
Nonsense.

If I could organize my mind,
I could have dreams and thoughts,
Without a trace of,
Nonsense.

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2009-02-20T14:31:00.001-05:00

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